Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/974985
8 2 P E R S P E C T I V E | M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 8 (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation) saying it was gearing up to begin. The notable change this go around for the epic story was that for the first time, instead of trying to cram the entirety of the novel into a two-hour feature, the show was going to be made into a 10-part miniseries for TNT. Long-format storytelling for television was exactly what the saga needed. Excitedly, I dove into the research and early conceptual phase of the process. One of the greatest gifts of working in the Art Department is the ability to become a compulsive expert on whatever world we are currently building. We don't have to dedicate our lives to the study of one specific thing, but instead are gifted the opportunity to become seasonally obsessed with a variety of subject matters—then complete that project and move onto some other set of fascinating ideas. Needless to say, there was A LOT for me to dig into when starting to develop the visual world and environment of this story. I worked with various physical and digital archives in New York City and State, and had access to historical advisors, including Richard Zacks, who wrote Island of Vice, an incredibly detailed A look at the NYPD under Teddy Roosevelt as its commissioner. Initially, the production plan was to film the exterior street locations in New York and to build the stage sets in Montreal, which would be used to round out the locations as well. What was quickly learned was that Montreal was not a successful match for 1890s New York, and that construction costs were not going to be viable at the scale of intention for the series. The time in Montreal was valuable however; as it was there that the initial preproduction began with a talented Art Department led by Supervising Art Director Michele Laliberte. Vincent Morin began to produce concept art depicting the intentions for scope and scale within the scripted historic crime scenes and the initial phase of design began for the major character interiors. The production turned its attention to creating the show entirely in New York. Due to lack of available stage space and high construction costs, the strategy for the show shifted; instead of building A. ILLUSTRATION OF THE TENEMENT BACKLOT SET AND SET DRESSING BY MARK MOLNER AND HIS TEAM AT PIXOLOID STUDIOS IN HUNGARY. B. DIAGRAM DEPICTING THE SHOOTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HESTER STREET SEQUENCES ON THE BACKLOT. THE PLAN INDICATES WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE SEEN FOR EACH SET PIECE, WHEN SET EXTENSION IS REQUIRED FOR WORLD BUILDING, ETC. C. DETAIL FROM A PLAN AND ELEVATION OF THE KREIZLER HOUSE EXTERIOR ON THE COMBINED BACKLOT BY ART DIRECTOR JAMES TRUESDALE. B C